Slow-cooker barbecue chicken for slowww summer days

Ali Slagle's supremely simple recipe keeps movement to a minimum.

View in browser|nytimes.com July 10, 2024 Ali Slagle's slow-cooker BBQ pulled chicken. Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell. Slow-cooker barbecue chicken for slowww summer days By Melissa Clark It's been ferociously hot and humid here in the Northeast, where, as my husband says, going out the door is like walking into a mouth. It's the kind of weather that drains my energy of everything except lying on the sofa in the air-conditioning and eating chilled (and healthful!) watermelon. To keep unnecessary heat and movement to an absolute minimum, let's break out the slow cooker (or use the Instant Pot's slow-cooker setting) to make Ali Slagle's supremely simple slow-cooker BBQ pulled chicken. There's no chopping or sautéing — just drop the ingredients into the pot, let them bubble for a few hours and then pull the soft, succulent meat into shreds. Ali suggests serving it with slaw and pickles on soft buns. I also love pulled meats like this on a bed of greens, which become languidly wilted and suffused with sauce. Eat it on the couch alongside your watermelon, preferably facing a stream of refrigerated air. Featured Recipe Slow-Cooker BBQ Pulled Chicken View Recipe → Nearly as effortless on a hot night is Yossy Arefi's tomato and farro salad with arugula. The only cooking required is to simmer the farro until tender. The rest of the ingredients — a mix of sun-dried and grape tomatoes, mint and arugula — are tossed together in a simple shallot dressing. This sturdy, colorful salad holds up in torrid weather, making it perfect fare for picnics or backyard barbecues (hopefully planned for after this heat wave). Speaking of barbecues, if you have the vim to get the grill going, Von Diaz's churrasco (marinated skirt steak) is an excellent way to spend it. Von spikes the classic Puerto Rican marinade of garlic, oregano and vinegar with some adobo seasoning. He then serves the grilled beef with wasakaka — an herby, citrusy sauce from the Dominican Republic — instead of the usual chimichurri. If going outside for any reason seems completely unreasonable, you can also cook the steak in a cast-iron pan on your stovetop. For something meatless, Kay Chun's vegetable yakisoba, a Japanese stir-fried noodle dish with a salty-sweet Worcestershire-ketchup-soy sauce mix, is well worth getting off the couch for. Rich with a flexible combination of carrots, kale, bell peppers and mushrooms, it's got a range of textures and flavors, and it's ready in 30 minutes. Most chowders say winter to me, a steaming bowl to warm a chilly evening. But not this light and fragrant summer chowder with cod, clams and plenty of sweet-corn kernels, a new recipe courtesy of David Tanis. Lemon zest and fresh serrano chile add brightness and heat, while a handful of chopped dill gives a fresh pop. Summer chowder is now officially a thing. For a nostalgic campfire dessert you can make in the comfort of your own kitchen, my oven s'mores take five minutes to put together and are ripe for fun variations. Use unorthodox cookies like shortbread or gingersnaps instead of graham crackers, or go savory with saltines or Ritz crackers. Peeps are a fantastic stand-in for regular marshmallows, as one reader writes in the notes, with the coating of sugar caramelizing irresistibly. Make these tonight and your inner Girl Scout will salute you. Naturally, you'll want to subscribe to get all the recipes at NYT Cooking (and thanks to you if you already do). If you need any technical assistance, you can send an email to the genius minds at cookingcare@nytimes.com. And I'm at hellomelissa@nytimes.com if you want to say hi. Nico Schinco for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. I'll leave you with Genevieve Ko's ginger scallion chicken and rice. Based on Hainanese chicken rice, but filled with greens and streamlined to be weeknight-friendly, it's a wonderful melding of pungent flavors with comforting textures. That's all for today. Back to my couch. See you on Monday. IN THIS NEWSLETTER Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Yossy Arefi. Tomato and Farro Salad With Arugula By Yossy Arefi 55 minutes Makes 6 servings  Chris Simpson for The New York Times. Food Stylist:Frances Boswell. Coleslaw By Kay Chun 10 minutes Makes 8 to 10 servings Bobbi Lin for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini. Churrasco (Grilled Marinated Skirt Steak) By Von Diaz 45 minutes Makes 4 servings David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Vegetable Yakisoba  By Kay Chun 30 minutes Makes 4 servings David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Summer Chowder With Cod and Clams By David Tanis 1 hour Makes 6 servings Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne. Oven S'mores By Melissa Clark 10 minutes Makes 8 servings Sign up for the Five Weeknight Dishes newsletter Fresh dinner ideas for busy people who want something great to eat, with NYT Cooking recipes sent to you weekly. Get it in your inbox Sign up for The Veggie newsletter Tanya Sichynsky shares the most delicious vegetarian recipes for weeknight cooking, packed lunches and dinner parties. Get it in your inbox Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Cooking from The New York Times. To stop receiving Cooking, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. 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